Cyborg R.A.T. 7 – Review

Gaming mice. For years companies have branded specific mice as intended for “gaming.” I’ve gotten my hands on a number of them, and rarely am I impressed enough to continue using them for long periods of time. Honestly, I might use one for a couple of months before reverting back to one of my trusty Logitech mice that isn’t geared toward gamers at all. Why? Most of them just aren’t that comfortable for both gaming and everyday use.

I’m someone that uses my computer for more than 12 hours in a day, thus, comfort is key. If a mouse doesn’t fit my hand, then I couldn’t care less about all of the fancy macro buttons or customizable LEDs. So when the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 showed up on my doorstep, I was intrigued.

At first glance, this mouse just looks awesome. The Cyborg name seems rather fitting, as this thing looks like some sort of robot-mouse hybrid. Unfortunately, it also looks like it would be rather uncomfortable. Upon plugging it in and actually using the mouse, I found that it was surprisingly not all that uncomfortable, but not the best-feeling mouse I’d held.

So what does one do with a mouse that isn’t quite a fit for their hand? In most cases, you get a new mouse. That’s not the case with the R.A.T. 7. No, you build yourself a mouse that does fit. This mouse is customizable in every way you didn’t think was possible. You can swap out palm and pinkie rests (three of each to choose from), adjust how far each stick out, change the angle of the thumb rest and modify the weight of the mouse itself. And that’s just the hardware!

After spending a good 20 minutes or so swapping out parts and making adjustments, I’d crafted the perfect mouse. Here was a peripheral that was built specifically for my hand, and it felt incredible. Of course there was also the feeling of accomplishment, as I felt like I’d literally crafted this device with my own two hands (when Mad Catz really did all of the hard work). The best part is that I didn’t need to bust out a screwdriver or anything to do all of this. Most was accomplished with no tools at all, and for those that did require one, it needed only a hex wrench, which was conveniently built into the mouse.

One thing I do want to note here is that the frame of the mouse is actually made of a lightweight metal. So not only does the shape of the mouse feel comfortable once you’ve found the right setup, but it feels really sturdy. I could probably chuck this thing at someone and still have a perfectly functioning mouse at the end of the day. Though hopefully I won’t need to test that theory.

So we’ve established that the mouse feels great, but is that all there is to it? Of course not. This 5600 DPI mouse has four different levels of sensitivity. By default, the DPI for each level are 800, 1600, 3200 and 5600. However, if these don’t suit your needs, you can actually go in and specify what DPI you want each to be. Further, you can individually select the DPI for the x and y axis. These are things you just don’t find on other mice. As for switching between each setting, there is a rocker on the mouse, so you aren’t forced to cycle through all four settings just to go back one.

Also, if you’re playing an FPS and want to momentarily slow down your mouse movements for sniping, there is a dedicated “Precision Mode” button. It’s a small red button that cuts your DPI down by a set amount while it’s pressed. This, too is completely customizable as well.

Finally, you can go in and customize each of the buttons and scrollwheels to do whatever you need. You can then setup multiple profiles, which you can use for different games or applications.

If you’re in the market for a new gaming mouse, I’ll recommend the Cyborg R.A.T. 7 hands-down over any other on the market. It’s comfortable, it’s customizable and it just looks plain awesome. What more do you need? The $99 price tag is going to put some people off, but if you don’t mind investing the money, then by all means do it. Besides, if you do a bit of shopping around, you should be able to find it for a bit less.

When I first saw this mouse, I was like- “HOLY S*&T!!! WTF!!???” and I knew I had to have one. I resisted and got a Logitech MX518, but this mouse drew me in. Getting one on Friday. Have you seen the Keyboard they make? If I didn’t already have a Logitech G110 that I’m pleased with, I’d get their Keyboard too.

OhGizmo! is a frequently updated blog that focuses on covering items that will appeal to a very specific and often very passionate audience: the geek. Aside from the fare of innovative consumer electronic products, the reader can expect to find news about geek culture, absurd inventions, awe inspiring technology, and an ever growing assortment of articles that we like to think fit within our view of what we’re calling the Geek Lifestyle.